rule

April 8th, 2015

Thanks to Mehdi Hasan for this week’s strip.

└ Tags: , , ,

Discussion (23)¬

  1. Caliban27 says:
    April 8, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    As Didier François said, it’s not about religion, it’s about politics.

  2. Max+T.+Furr says:
    April 8, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    Ain’t that the way? Indifference and irony at it’s finest. Great toon, Author.

    I wrote an article last year along the same lines. Brazil spent hundreds of millions of the citizens’ money to build a fine sports stadium to host the 2014 World Cup.

    A short distance from this beautiful stadium live about 4,800 homeless people, (men, women, and children), and taxes increased to 20 and 35 percent on those who could pay.

    But the game didn’t go Brazil’s way, and The Brazilian sports newspaper Lance called Brazil’s loss to their team’s bid to win the soccer World Cup, “the biggest shame in history.” http://thebenevolentthou.com/2014/07/10/brazils-biggest-shame-in-history-really/

  3. W. Corvi says:
    April 8, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    Mo, My mother taught me to always look on the bright side. At least now most of the world has HEARD of Islam.

  4. GE says:
    April 8, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    Marc Sageman: “Religion has a role but it is a role of justification.”

    Yes, we know.

    Oh…you meant only in this particular context?

  5. Ophelia Benson says:
    April 8, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    You’d think Saudi Arabia all by itself would be enough to trash Islam’s reputation. I wonder if Mehdi frets about that much.

  6. hotrats says:
    April 8, 2015 at 6:12 pm

    It’s all very well all these ‘moderate Muslims’ repudiating ISIS – when are they going to repudiate those parts of the Koran and Hadith that unambiguously specify the barbarity that ISIS enacts?

  7. Nassar+Ben+Houdja says:
    April 8, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    The reality and truth about islam
    Isis displays, they don’t give a dam
    Ignorance and superstition
    Hallmarks of the cult of submission
    Down the throats of the conquered is rammed.

  8. Robert,+not+Bob says:
    April 8, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    I’m morally certain that the overwhelming majority of Muslims will double down in Islam’s defense no matter how clearly it is demonstrated just what happens when the caliphate they all believe in is established. At least in public (because, you know, they want to live).

  9. smee says:
    April 8, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    Of course Mehdi Hassan knows all about presenting a different public image to the reality behind the scenes!

  10. Michael says:
    April 8, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    The main practical problem with Da’ish is that they’re competent fanatics. Much of the opposition, particularly in Iraq, are incompetent and apathetic.

  11. AV says:
    April 8, 2015 at 10:05 pm

    I recommend everyone to read this (LONG) article on IS. It’s a really interesting read. http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/

  12. JohnM says:
    April 9, 2015 at 9:37 am

    Speaking of falling approval ratings, and also slightly O/T, the “shepherd of the internet trolls” to quote Sam Harris, has received a modicum of uppance from Atheist Ireland

  13. Darwin Harmless says:
    April 9, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    JohnM, thanks for that link. You would have to know the history of Michael Nugent to understand where this is coming from.
    As a regular reader and fan of PZ Myers, I’m not surprised to see the push back he’s getting. The thing is, I generally agree with PZ on almost all issues – his pro-feminism, anti-racist, egalitarian, support for QUILTBAG rights and marriage equality, his social justice issues, anti-imperialism and anti-war positions, not to mention anti-ID and creationist ignorance and pro-science education. The sins listed here are mostly taken out of context and ignore the persona and style that PZ has created for himself.
    PZ makes a valuable contribution to the blogosphere. I’d hate to see him ignored because of tone trolling, which seems to be the main complaint here.

  14. Rob says:
    April 9, 2015 at 11:32 pm

    Author, as always a great cartoon.

    JohnM, actually completely and utterly O/T, lacking in context, nuance, rational evaluation and utility. But you know, if it works for you…

  15. JohnM says:
    April 10, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    DH – Not familiar with Michael Nugent or his history, but I am familiar with babbling of sycophants that surround PZM. I was therefore not too surprised to see an account of this sort emerge.

    Rob – ‘Author’ has provided a note concerning the use of the comments section. Perhaps you could find a moment to peruse it.

  16. Deebles says:
    April 10, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    Just looked up the whole thing, having not been following either Myers or Nugent. From a brief viewing, it looks like a childish thing Nugent posted and got his mates to back in response to one or two other childish things Myers had posted, while also referencing a bunch of other stuff taken out of context. Not impressed.

  17. JohnM says:
    April 11, 2015 at 11:10 am

    DH
    Your comment prompted me to do some reading/searching. re: M Nugent, PZ Myers etc. I got plenty of insights and found a well-written and insightful article, which seems to be a root explanation of why all that shit seems to be hitting the fan.

    It reminded me of the old joke about God telling Adam he was going to equip him with two important organs, the brain and the penis. But also telling him there was a downside to this gift. After God explains the purpose of the organs, Adam says he cannot see any possibility of a downside. God tells him,”Ahh. But you cannot use them both at the same time”.

  18. Rob says:
    April 11, 2015 at 11:12 am

    JohnM, thanks for pointing that out. It does feel good to mock sincerely held beliefs from time to time. That’s more than enough O/T now I think. Thanks to Author also for approving my first ever comment. I’ve finally got around to donating to site up keep, which I should do more often.

  19. white+squirrel says:
    April 12, 2015 at 1:36 am

    Islam’s public image is down to 27%
    as high as that still ?

  20. Shaughn says:
    April 12, 2015 at 6:26 am

    It seems that about 24% of the world population is muslim. Seems their public image can’t go down much more.

  21. white+squirrel says:
    April 13, 2015 at 12:40 am

    two important organs, the brain and the penis.
    But you cannot use them both at the same time”.

    succinctly explains Abrahamic religions

  22. JohnM says:
    April 14, 2015 at 12:14 pm

    Seems the xtian apologists, at least are beginning to get it

  23. HaggisForBrains says:
    April 15, 2015 at 9:29 am

    JohnM – interesting post from a xtian, author of The Case Against Atheism. Thanks for the link.

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